Coal separator and grader.



J. L. COX.

COAL SBPARATOR AND-GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1910.

1,002,967, I Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J.' L. COX.

COAL SEPARATOR AND GRADER. APPLICATION FILED PEB.11, 1910.

1,002,967, Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

afi ej 2 v muendafl COAL SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.11,1910. 1,002,967. Pa ented Sept. 12, 1911,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J. L. 00X.

GOAL SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

APPLIGATION FILED I'EB.11. 1910.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. h Wm 17.62.21

unrrnn srarns PATENT orricn.

JOHN L, 00X, 01:, MURPHYSBORO, ILLINOIfi;

coat snrana'ron nun e Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 1%, 1%11. Application filed February 11, 1am. Serial Ito, 543,859. I

To all whom it-may concern: v

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. Cox, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Murphysboro, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal Separators and Graders, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear,-

and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a The machine consists of a series of grooved rollers all of which are driven in the same direction so that when coal is delivered to the separator the rollers will separate and grade the coal and at the same time act as a conveyer to direct the coal to the bins 'or chutes. The grading of the coal is brought about by the different of the rollers and the grooves in the rollers, which rollers are mounted in sets according to the size of the rollers and the grooves therein and the separating and grading is accomplished While the coal is being conveyed from the mine to the bins or chutes without any extra handling. t y

F or the above purposes my invention consists in certain novel features'of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevation of thecomplete apparatus, illustrating the arrangement of the apparatus relative a chute from a mine and the bins or, cars to receive the various rades of coal from the apparatus; Fig. 2

1s a plan of the complete apparatus Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the separator and grader with a portion of the separating frame in section; Fig. d is an end elevation opposite to. the end shown in Fig. 3.and shows the arrangement of the means for unparting motion to the rollers; Fig. 5 IS a sectional elevation of a portion of the upper end of the grader illustrating the means whereby the coal, as it is received by the grader, is'turned so that slack'or the hire 1S removed from all of the surfaces of the lumps of coal; Fig. 6 is an enlarged, sec

tional elevation showing the detail constructlon of one of the rollers and the shaft upon which the roller is mounted, one of thebeari ngs for said shaft and the sprocket wheel secured-to the shaft for driving the roller;

and Fi 7 is a detail plan illustrating the Inga IS for ad usting the rollers relative each ot e Referring by ing drawings: 1 designates a chute which leads from the mine or the mine tipple. The chute is provided with an inclined bottom and there is an opening formed in the forward wall of the chute.

Located immediately beneath the chute 1 IS a tower 2 and secured to the top of the tower is a pair of hearings 3, and rotatably mounted in the bearings 3 is a shaft l.

5 designates a pair of parallel. l-beams, which beams are connected by the stay-rods 6, there being openings formed. through the Webs of the l-beams through which the shaft 4f passes, the beams being pivotally carried by the shaft 42. At the ends of the beams,

opposite their pivotal ends, are the blocks 7 the bottom faces of which form. a seat for the jaclrscrews 8. Embracing each of the screws 8 is a threaded collar 9 having operating handles 16. Arranged to support the jack screws is a frame comprising standards 11 and a cross arm 12, the cross arm being provided with apertures through which the jack screws travel, the collar 9 being supported by the cross arm.

Supported upon. the upper faces of the I-beams 5, adjacent their upper ends, is a plurality of journal bearings 13. Mounted numeralsto the accompanyfor rotation in opposite pairs of the journal bearings 13 are the shafts 14, each shaft being circular in cross section at its endsas shown in Fig, 6 for rotation. in the journal bearings 13. The major portion of each shaft is angular in cross section and between the angular portion and the journals is a threaded-portion. Embracing each of the angular portions ofthe shafts 14- is a roller 15 preferably arranged eccentricallyrelative the shaft. Each of the rollers 15 is grooved throughoutfits length, the grooves being arranged at right angles or at an approximate right angle to the axis of the roller. shown in Fig. '6 of the drawing each of the rollers is preferably made up of separable sections and as shown the lines of separation 7 together,

Alternately arranged relative the ends the shafts .14 are the sprocket wheels 18' and .19, the sprocket wheels 18 being locatedon each alternate shaft atlthe right hand side of the separator and the sprocket wheels 19 being located on each alternate shaft at the v left hand side of the separator,

' beam by means of the bolts. Mounted for rotation in each tive their supporting shafts.

Mounted upon the upper face of the beams is a plurality of journal bearings 20, the baseportions of which journal bearings are. slotted and the bearings are secured tothe pair of journal bearings 20 is a shaft 21, and embracing each shaft is; a roller 22 identical in con-- struction with the rollers 15 except that the rollers 22 are concentrically arranged rela- The rollers 22-vary in size and the depths of grooves vary in the different series of rollers. As

shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, 23 designates a series ofthe rollers 22, the size of the rollers and depths of grooves therein conveying lump and grades of coal other than slack over the rollers.

24 designates a series of the rollers, the sizes of which and the depths of grooves therein convey over the rollers all of the coal except the grade known as pea.

25 designatesa series of the rollers for conveying coal thereover all of the grades except thegrade known as nut.

26 designates a series of the rollers for conveying coal thereover the gradeknown as lump and permitting the grade known as egg to fall between the rollers of the series. Each of the rollers is provided with a sprocket wheel 27 and 28, the sprocket wheels 27 being positioned upon each alternate shaft at the right hand side ofthe separator and the sprocket wheels 28 being positioned on each alternate shaft at the left hand side of the separator.

As previously stated, the shaft 4 is a driven shaft, motion being imparted thereto through the medium of the sprocket wheel 29 and chain 30 which leads to-any suita= ble motor. At ea'ch end of the shaft 4 is a sprocket wheel 31. Embracing the sprocket wheel 31, at the right hand'side of the machine, and embracing the sprocket wheels 18 which impart motion to a number of the rollers 15 and-the sprocket wheels 27 which impart motion to a number of-the separating and grading rollers,'is a chain 32.

At the left hand side of the machine and embracing the sprockets upon all of the rollers not driven by thechain at the right hand side of the machine is a chain 33 which is driven from the sprocket 31 at the left hand side of the driving shaft 4:.

Arranged beneath the rollers is a number of hoppers 34 and arranged between each pair of hoppers and at the ends of the end hoppers are the division boards 35 which lead upwardly from the hoppers to a point adjacent the rollers. The hoppers are arranged to conduct the different grades of coal to the cars or bins 36 While the lump coal or largest grade of coal falls over the end of the grader into a separate car or bin 37.

Arranged to parallel the beams 5 is a pair of inclined side boards 38 which serve to retain the coal upon the rollers and arranged v to retain the coal upon the rollers 15 is a pair of side boards 39.

In the practical operation of the separator and grader the coal is delivered from the tipple through the chute 1 to the first set of grooved rollers and by reason of the elevation of the first set of rollers the coal, in passing to the next set of rollers, is given a rotary movement. The coal, in passing from the chute on to the rollers and by reason of the agitation caused by the eccentric arrangei'nent of the first set of rollers all of the slack is freed from the lower faces of the coal and is deposited in the car or bin 36 through the first hopper 34. The coal in passing from the first set of rollers to the second set of rollers is turned, thus all of the faces of the coal are turned so that the sla ck or dirt thereon'is freed from the lumps. The first set of rollers 23, to which the coal is delivered from the receiving rollers 15, is arranged, by reason of their size and the depth of the grooves therein, to separate all of the slackfrom the coal passing thereover. From the set 23 of the rollers the coal is delivered to the set of rollers 24 which are of such size and the depths of groovestherein are of such size as to separate the grade known as pea.- The next set of rollers 25 separate the grade of coal known as nut and the rollers 26 separate the grade known as egg while the lump coal is discharged over the end of the rollers :26. Thus, it is obvious the coal is separated derstood as limiting myself to this arrangement of mountings for my rollers. I have found it practical to mount all of the rollers either eccentric or concentric but the construction shown is my preferred construction, that is the arrangement of the receiving rollers being eccentric relative theiraxes. By this arrangement, that is the eccentric r arrangement of the receiving rollers, a greater agitation of the coal is produced at the starting point where all of the coal and all of its grades are delivered to the separator. In this condition it is necessary to free all of the lumps of coal from the first grade or slack. This is readily accomplished, by means of the increased agitation of the receiving rollers due to their eccentric mountings. By reason of the pivotal support of one end of the frame for supporting the rollers, and due to the adjusting means at the opposite end of the roller-supporting frame, I am enabled to vary the incline of the rollers as required to govern the speed of travel of the coal over the separator.

If it is found that the grading is accomplished successfully with they separator held at the greatest incline possible, by means of the jack screws 8, I can increase the capacity of the separator by increasing the speed of the motor.

Such an apparatus I contemplate to use instead of the ordinary revolving screen and find that by its use there is a material difference in operation because of the breakage due to the action of a revolving screen upon the lumps of coal.

I have found that my separator and grader can be successfully used as a jig by immersing the entire apparatus in Water thereby washing and grading the coal by one operation.

I claim:

means for adjusting the bearings longitudinally ofthe frame, grooved rollers supported in said bearings, the rooves in different rollers being of dierent depths, said rollers being arranged in sets according to the depths of said grooves, a separate and distinct set of grooved rollers supported by the frame in a plane above the first mentioned rollers and means for driving all of said rollers in the same direction.

2. In a coal separator and grader, the combination witha frame, means for varying the inclination of the frame, grooved rollers, the grooves in different rollers being of different depths and the rollers arranged in sets according to the depths of said grooves, of a number of grooved rollers supported in a plane above the first mentioned rollers to turn the coal over upon said lower set of rollers.

3. In a coal separator and grader, the combination with a plurality of grooved rollers, the'grooves in different rollers being of different depths and the rollers arranged in sets according to the depths of said grooves, of a number of grooved rollers supported in a plane above the first mentioned rollers to turn the coal over upon said first mentioned rollers, and means for simultaneously rotating all of the rollers in the same direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. COX.

Witnesses:

H. O. OzBoRN, J. A. TUCKER. 

